Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips with Gary Kraftsow
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Movie Reviews of Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips with Gary Kraftsow
Movie Review: Great for healing your back and then strengthening it
Summary: 5 Stars
My back started going out when I was in my early 40s. In the fall of 2006, when I was 51, it went out twice in a relatively short period, and the second time was very painful and debilitating. I started using practices from Gary's book, "Yoga For Wellness," to begin the healing process and made a lot of progress over a period of about a month.
In 2007, I attended a four-day class Gary gave based on this DVD and it's companion on practices for the upper back, shoulders and neck. I bought both DVDs and my back hasn't gone out or been tweaked since I began doing the practices.
Gary makes the point that you have to be consistent in your practice. He says it's like flossing your teeth. I do a modified version of practice 3 on this DVD about four times a week.
My office mate's back went out at about the same time as mine did in 2006. He complained for months that it was still giving him problems. Earlier this year, I lent him the lower back DVD, since I have the practice memorized and I put the audio versions on my MP3 player. He has been doing the practices ever since and reports a big improvement.
I love Gary's therapeutic approach and highly recommend these DVDs.
Movie Review: Wouldn't start my day without it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using this DVD daily for the past 6 months and I can't imagine starting my day without it. I'm a fairly active person who also does more vigorous yoga, but I think this is gentle enough for those new to yoga or regular activity. There's lots of info on the reasons for back pain and detailed instruction for all the poses. There are three actual practices, a very gentle 20 minute sequence for low back, a 30 minute gentle sequence targeting hips, and a 30 minute sequence designed to build more strength and stability for hips and low back. I do the third one almost exclusively. Love that audio versions of the sequences are provided so I can practice with my iPod when I'm away from home or want to go to another room without a dvd player. Movie Review: Remember the neck is connected to the butt!
Summary: 4 Stars
Although this is an excellent DVD and provides useful information, I took one star away as it fails to relate the low back, sacrum and hip postures to what is happening in the upper thoracic and cervical spine.
I am a licensed massage therapist. One of my first massage teachers reminded the class: "Remember you neck is connected to your butt." Structurally, there are muscles that run the length of the back from neck to buttocks. While viewing the sequences in full before practicing them, I saw a high risk potential for anyone who has any problematic areas such as: TMJ, previous concussions, whiplash, flattened cervical spine, thoracic outlet syndrome or thoracic entrapment, carpal tunnel, problematic wrists or knees. For example: in Dvipada Pitham coming up too high onto the shoulders further flattens the cervical spine onto the floor, increases stress in the thoracic outlet which in turn affects the brachial nerve plexus and blood flow to the arms; in Bhujangasana and Salabhasana placing the forehead directly on the floor has the tendency to flatten the cervical spine and increase the compression in the thoracic angles and scalenes---turning the head to one side is structuraly less stressful to the neck; the Jathara Parivritti variations on this DVD I would recommend avoiding altogether if you have any cervical problems unless you have proper supervision.
The yoga students who are featured on this DVD have most likely studied with Gary for a long time; thus, being well prepared and suited for many of these techniques.
I would recommend Viniyoga over all other styles of yoga. If you have chronic neck and shoulder pain, I would recommend studying with a trained Viniyoga teacher or Viniyoga therapist before attempting this DVD. He/She will be trained to help you identify your trouble spots and adapt the more challenging postures to what is possible for you.
Movie Review: Be careful before buying this DVD.
Summary: 2 Stars
As a middle aged woman just starting to do yoga, this DVD was too difficult. There are no modifications of the postures for someone who is just beginning and may not be as flexible as the people who are demonstrating. Once the work-out gets going, the positions are repeated too quickly and then it goes right into the next one at a fairly rushed pace. Having to stop/start the DVD was distracting. Yoga is supposed to be partially spiritual in nature and I just found this to be more frustrating than helpful. It was disappointing to spend almost $25 on this DVD to find this out (and to have to pay return shipping for a partial refund.) I would recommend a slower paced yoga DVD if you are new to yoga, are older and/or have painful hips or knees.Movie Review: Excellent and highly recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I have been doing this practice for a while and we both love it. Gary Kraftsow's voice and instruction are very clear, understandable and unambiguous. There is no distracting music. The setting is pleasant with simplicity, not distracting or gimmicky. The people doing the movements follow Gary Kraftsow's cues along with the viewer at home. Their movements demonstrate what is being cued but they are not like choreographed ballet dancers or gymnasts; they are obviously experienced yoga practitioners but one can identify with them and thus be open to learning from their demonstrations. The pace is very good for allowing understanding of the movement and the breath. The practices are vigorous but when finished one is very relaxed and the areas of concentration (in this DVD it's the low back, sacrum and hips) feel relaxed and much improved, where there might have been problems before. This is becoming our favorite yoga practice and we recommend this viniyoga DVD most highly, as well as Gary Kraftsow's other viniyoga DVD for shoulders, upper back and neck - also excellent. It is a joy to have found these DVDs. We are very grateful to Mr. Kraftsow for developing these practices and to all who are responsble for making these available.